Blackwell Reference Online

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Christopher Peterson, PhD, (1950–) is best known for his work on good and bad adaptation, with a focus on the role played by such individual differences as optimism, personal control, and strengths of character, in a variety of populations with respect to outcomes like health, work performance, achievement, and life satisfaction. He is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. Dr Peterson's main contribution to positive psychology is his role as research director of the Values in Action (VIA) Project, which is arguably the most ambitious empirical undertaking to date within positive psychology. The goals of the project are to provide: a) a coherent classification of human strengths and virtues; and b) reliable and valid strategies for assessing these aspects of excellence. Dr Peterson has authored or coauthored 10 books, 70 book chapters, and 140 journal articles. His most recent books are Character Strengths and Virtues and an introductory text: A Primer in Positive Psychology . In 2003, he was named by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as among the world's 100 most widely-cited psychologists over the past 20 years. His work has been featured on numerous newspapers and popular magazines worldwide including The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today , and Reader's Digest . In 1999, Dr Peterson was named an Arthur ... log in or subscribe to read full text